More home games!
BTG: “This win, like many of Michigan’s victories this season, is bittersweet. That’s because this team is not going dancing, yet games like this prove they have the talent to do so. They’ve beaten Ohio State (albeit one without Evan Turner), UConn, and now Minnesota. They took the Spartans to the wire and they held around for a pretty long time at The Phog. But this is the same team that last to conference cellar-dwellers Alabama and Boston College, a subpar Utah team, and Indiana. So instead of dancing, Michigan is fighting to go to the NIT. It’s been a maddening season for Wolverine fans, to be sure.”

freep article on sykes. it doesn’t sound like he is what we’re after but who knows?

JB

…and nevermind because that’s exactly what you already posted

Ken in Vegas

“It’s been a maddening season for Wolverine fans, to be sure.”

No, not maddening at all. In fact I’m just top tip. Just dandy and fine.

Tweeter

stream not half bad. Sloppy play early

Tweeter

wow this team they are playing is loaded. Guys going to Memphis, Syracuse and Rutgers. Their press is owning New Hampton right now.

Tweeter

oh and Iowa state now as well.

AG2

I have to admit, opponents of the 96 team tournament have a point. The expanded field would deny #1 seeds the ability to play the weakest teams in their first game. You’d have #16s like Michigan instead of #16s like Central Connecticut State or something.

The only alternative is to re-seed the tournament after the first round, which would mess with brackets.

Kevin in GR

I watched the first half of New Hampton/Brewster and Evan didn’t have a very good half! He had about 2 pts, 4-5 turnovers and played mostly on the perimeter. In New England, they play 20 minute halfs also which I didn’t know. Brewster looks like a pretty good team with some top flight players. Evan usually gets the ball on the perimeter and doesn’t play inside much. Early in the game, they looked to him to bring the ball up against the press a couple times as they were having difficulties with it. In one of the time outs, it looked like Evan was being pretty vocal. Hopefully he has a better 2nd half! His teammate (G Jordan Leguerre) looks really good!

Bluebufoon

I tried watching the stream but the signal kept fading in and out.
Although I was impressed with how New Hampton played, I was very disappointed in Smotrycz. He never wet down low as was said before but he was lazy with the basketball and he didn’t show inclination to rebound or play defense. I cam away thinking the kid is a prima-donna.

I know you can’t make judgements off of one viewing but tonight wasn’t one of Smotrycs better efforts.

JB

i’d monitor the smotrycz comments considering he writes on this website

Tweeter

75-72 NH 2:50 left. Smote has hit a couple big threes in the last several minutes.

Tweeter

Brewster comes back and wins. Will Barton made several shots in the last two minutes to win it. NH had a shot at the end but got blocked. Smotrycz was not on the floor on the last few possessions, dont know why.

Brewster had a lot of talent but man, most of their players were flat out punks. Barton in particular. He was taunting fans, yelling at the refs, yelling at his teammates, celebrating every single play he made. Memphis can have him, seemed like a completely classless kid, but he is still a kid so maybe he grows up over the next year.

On Smote’s game. Only watched first part of first half and last ten minutes of game. But I do somewhat agree with the above poster regarding Smote seeming a little Stu Douglass-ish at times. He did a lot of floating and not much hard cutting. He seemed like he was more of an initiator of offense for NH, rather than a pure scorer. He does have a very good shot, and rebounds pretty well. He needs to be stronger with the ball as he had it slapped away a couple times. His passing is as advertised. He made a lot of good outlets, and just smart plays. I would say intensity is going to be the big thing for him. At his size with his athleticism, he could be very good if he brings enough energy.

AG2

I’m in shock right now. I just stopped at the Meijer by my house and saw Deshawn Sims and Manny Harris. And I live in East Lansing!

Tweeter

weird they must be slumming it tonight

AG2

No way. There was a party bus in the parking lot and it looked like the entire team was there and they had dates. Valentines Day and the weekend off and whatnot.

Brick

I guess even the basketball team knows the girls are easier in East Lansing.

Mike

Any chance we get in if we win the rest of our games and lose in the conference finals?

Tweeter

yes Mike I think we would get in if we did that. We would be 21-13 (11-7 in conf) with a plethora of pretty quality wins. Im not gonna hold my breath.

Giddings

Possibly of note – we are 8-4 with four or more days rest, and 4-8 with three or fewer days days rest. 4 of our final 6 games will be with four or more days of rest, good to know (the only ones that won’t be are the home games against Minny and Illinois).

Alex

The problem is that if that is a trend we may be in trouble for the BTT. Winning four of the next six would be really nice. I hope they have started what would be an epic run but it will be very difficult against all the teams for different reasons. The team needs to continue to bring its A game and to continue to improve.

We’ll have footage of Amir once I get it all edited up but this dunk needed to be posted immediately from Ray McCallum.

Tweeter

yowsers

YpsiTuckyBoy

Pfft…that wasn’t impressive. We don’t even want him.

::Sob::

AG2

For the record, Chris Webber doesn’t look all that great in the shooting stars contest.

Brick

Where is McCallum headed? Arizona? I don’t know if Kansas has room. I don’t see him going to Detroit.

Bluebufoon

U-M recruited McCallum early and often but for whatever reason the young man hasn’t been interested in being a Wolverine. His list of schools includes Arizona, UCLA, Florida and Detroit. Its just a guess
but I believe McCallum stays at Detroit and plays for his father.

Ben

Hey Dylan, I see that Hardaway Jr was in the district final. Did they win and how did he matchup against the 4 star alabama recruit in the semi final. Charles Hankerson is who he played against last week sometime…. I’m just wondering how he did in this match up.

Ben: Hardaway’s team won the district. They beat Hankerson’s squad and then beat Killian by 4. They host Southwest Miami on Thursday to kick off regionals.

AG2

I suppose he could go to Detroit, its the only school where the coach can give him money, lol.

I kinda feel like he’d go to the Pac-10 if he thinks he’s one and done.

Ben

Thanks Dylan, Sounds like he is better then his ranking. What I like about him is he is vocal on the court (michigan team camp he was always talking while playing) and plays with passion, I thik we lack players like him and he should play a role next year. Do you think his star ranking will go up to a 4 star?? his play certainly may warrant it. or is he just a high 3 star??

Giddings

Weird seeing OSU play the 1-3-1 today at Illinois, it’s totally confusing the Illini. Have they ever used it before?

maxwell’s demon

I’ve watched a few OSU games now and they also ran a fair amount of the 1-3-1. It is weird though, I don’t remember it from last year. Matta might be using it due to their lack of depth, plus they have the height and athleticism to do it well.

Illinois looks terrible though and with their upcoming schedule I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish with 7 losses. Also wouldn’t be surprised to see OSU win the conference.

ryan

I will be in Columbas for the Michigan Ohio State game. I am nervous.

AG2

Well Illinois looked very beatable today. The key will be if Deshawn Sims can get Mike Tisdale in foul trouble and if we get some serious perimeter defense on Brandon Paul, Demetri McCamey, and DJ Richardson.

jk

I think Austin etherington (2011 hotboard) committed to indiana. Is this true?

I watch all big ten games and maxwell Illinois is not an awful team. They had an off game and couldn’t hit anything from the field. Brandon Paul doesn’t shoot way too much and I think thats why he doesn’t start anymore. As long as McCamey isn’t hot like against Wisconsin we should be able to beat them. Mike Davis also hasn’t been playing well lately either.

Alex

Looks like NU pulls out the big W vs. Minn. I do think for much of the game Minn showed potential but untimely turnovers did them in.

Mike

meant to say does not doesn’t. And yea idk what is happening with Minny. There a deep team, but all that off the court crap prolly affected there season.

maxwell’s demon

Clearly they aren’t an awful team if they won at the Kohl center but they looked awful today. I do think of all the teams with 4 losses or less they are the worst. They have had by far the easiest conference schedule to date and I think come March we’ll realize they aren’t one of the B10 elites (but still a tourney team).